Saudi Delgations Planning Visit To Washington As Ties Improve
Two Saudi government delegations plan to visit the United States this month to fix strained ties and lay the ground for an eventual visit by President Joe Biden.
Two Saudi government delegations plan to visit the United States this month to fix strained ties and lay the ground for an eventual visit by President Joe Biden.
The first delegation is expected to visit Washington on June 15 and will be led by Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi. The second, led by Investment Minister Khaled Al-Falih, is planned by the end of the month, Reuters reported quoting two unnamed officials on Saturday.
The delegations are expected to include dozens of government officials and Saudi company executives who will discuss agreements and deals in several sectors including transportation, logistics and renewable energy, they said.
Biden publicly acknowledged on Friday that he may travel to Saudi Arabia soon, a trip that multiple sources say is expected and could include talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The visit would help mend relations with Saudi Arabia, which have come under strain because of a series of Biden administration policies, including on Yemen and nuclear talks with Iran.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Biden is under pressure to increase world oil supplies and reduce prices as Riyadh has held back on pumping more oil.
"Regardless if Biden's visit takes place or not, both sides are working to restore ties on an institutional level and in different sectors," said one of the officials.
